The Jacksonville Jaguars have elevated quarterback Nick Mullens from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s Week 2 game against the Denver Broncos, via the NFL transaction wire.
Linebacker Jalen McLeod was also called up via a standard elevation.
It is the second straight week the Jaguars have activated the 31-year-old veteran. Jacksonville opened the season with a 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, and Mullens took seven offensive snaps in the fourth quarter after the outcome was decided.
He is expected to serve again as the experienced backup to starter Trevor Lawrence, with newly acquired Quinn Ewers also on the 53-man roster.
Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. ET at Empower Field at Mile High. The Jaguars are 1-0; the Broncos are 0-1 after a 31-10 loss at Kansas City. The game will be televised on CBS.
Mullens originally signed with San Francisco as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Mississippi in 2017. He has appeared in 39 career games with 20 starts for the 49ers, Browns, Vikings, and Jaguars.
Career totals include 533 completions on 808 attempts (66.0 percent) for 6,448 yards, 34 touchdowns, 31 interceptions, and an 88.3 passer rating.
He spent the 2025 season in Jacksonville as Lawrence’s backup before the team released him at final cuts and immediately signed him to the practice squad after trading for Ewers.
Elevating Mullens gives Jacksonville three quarterbacks available on game day without committing a full 53-man roster spot to a third signal-caller for the entire season.
Standard elevations allow a practice-squad player to dress for a game and then revert unless signed to the active roster. The Jaguars used the same move last week and are repeating it for the road trip to Denver.
McLeod, a 2025 sixth-round pick out of Auburn who spent last season on injured reserve, adds depth at linebacker and on special teams. His activation has drawn extra attention as a possible hint at Jacksonville’s pass-rush plans against Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.
Lawrence has been durable and productive. He threw four touchdown passes in the opener and has started at least 16 games in four of his five NFL seasons.
Mullens is unlikely to see meaningful snaps unless Lawrence is injured or Jacksonville builds another large lead. Still, the veteran’s familiarity with the offense and coaching staff makes him a low-risk insurance policy on the road at altitude.
Head coach Liam Coen said Friday the team had handled the week well heading into the first road game of 2026. Elevating Mullens is a quiet, practical roster decision rather than a sign of concern at quarterback.
For a 1-0 club looking to extend a long regular-season winning streak, it is simply another layer of preparation for a hostile environment in Denver.
